A variety of snack and/or dessert food products packaged in squeezable containers are known in the art. For example, Kraft Foods of Glenview, Ill. offers a squeezable gelatin and pudding product line. In like manner, Energy Zone of Westlake Village, Calif., produces a line of squeezable gelatin, pudding and applesauce varieties. Further, General Mills has recently introduced a yogurt product packaged within a tube that can be served refrigerated, frozen or thawed.
A variety of double-compartment package configurations are known in the art. For example, German Patent Publication No. DE 1 511 942 discloses a two-compartment package formed from three parallel films, but consumption of a squeezable combination of two different but complementary food products at the same time is not intended.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,651,615 discloses a sealed package formed of metal-foil-polyethylene having two compartments designed to have a lubricant or other material enclosed in one compartment, and a catheter or other medical or surgical device in the other compartment. A rupturable ultrasonic seal is provided between the compartment so that the catheter or the like has its tip and least adjacent portions covered with lubricant at the time of the use. The consumption of food products with such a package is not intended and would not be appropriate.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 3,795,081 discloses a cylindrical package forming compartmented portions. The package may contain chemical materials which when united form mixtures containing reactive components. It is not intended to serve a foodstuff by using such a package.
As noted above, prior art squeezable foods are mainly of the snack and/or dessert variety. Moreover, the snack and/or dessert of the prior art are traditionally of a gel-like consistency, and are intended to be consumed as a simple food product or a mixture expelled from a single-compartment package. Thus there is a long-felt need, which is satisfied by the invention described herein, for convenient, nutritionally balanced liquid and squeezable foods and packages for directly delivering such squeezable foods to the consumer without requiring knives, spoons or other eating utensils. There is also a need to provide a squeezable foodstuff having sensory and nutritive properties identical or close to a complete solid food or meal, and this is also provided by the present invention.